The upfront cost is high, but you'll never have to replace warped or broken boards again nor will you have to powerwash/stain/seal it ever. That was the one home improvement my dad did that he didn't bitch about the cost of, so it must've been worth it.

FYI- our builder warned us that if you put the deck in an area that gets a lot of shade or is wet often, there is a chance some composite decks actually hold more moisture then wood decks and eventually cause mold and mildew. They won't rot, but they still can hold mildew.

Some of the commercial applications I've seen with composite get physical paths worn in them - like material removal. Not sure how wood would fair, but most board walks I've seen are wood and aren't worn. Not trying to be bias against them, but am also looking into this since I need to replace a deck...currently PT wood is at the top of my list

My experience is the same as others. Wear pattern in them is more noticeable, bug killers really mess them up, and as they fade the fade pattern is more noticeable. Our table left a dark square where it shaded the deck and the rest faded differently.

We had to call the company out to re-do the steps because they sagged. The composite stuff needs more support and stringers closer together.

That was on a deck on Hudson that we had for 2 summers. When we moved to the Sault then I built a deck there and did not use composite because of those issues.

I own a landscaping company and probably work around 10 composite decks weekly and not one of them actually looks good anymore. All are at least 4 years old. Maybe they just need a good washing but in my opinion decks look nicer in wood.

Wood decks FTW. I don't believe my deck was ever washed, and judging by the railings, I believe it to have been installed when the place was built 30 years ago. 1st time since I bought the house in November I started washing it, and it still comes back great.

I concerns with them are the same others list. I prefer 5/4 cedar for decking, and keep it sealed properly. I've probably built 50-60 decks over the years, mostly with cedar. Wood just seems the right feel, don't like the plastic-yness of the composite.

Wood decks FTW. I don't believe my deck was ever washed, and judging by the railings, I believe it to have been installed when the place was built 30 years ago. 1st time since I bought the house in November I started washing it, and it still comes back great.

Why does it look like you were trying to wash off the evidence of a brutal murder?